Alterknit Stitch Dictionary

This is Alterknit Stitch Dictionary: 200 Modern Knitting Motifs by Andrea Rangel. Published by Interweave, it’s a 164-page hardcover book due out August 10. As you can deduce from the title, it contains 200 stranded colorwork motifs. They are described as being new and non-traditional. Some are geometric, some are based on “things,” some on animals, some on natural eelements, some on man-made and architectural elements. It’s a great collection that will help you with your own original creations. Or perhaps you want to switch out a motif in a pattern for something fresh and new.

Each motif is shown in a color chart and as a knitted swatch.

In addition to the dictionary of motifs, there are helpful how-to sections: choosing yarns and colors and color dominance, holding your yarn, dealing with floats, swatching, reading charts, working steeks, and more.

And there are also some fun patterns that incorporate motifs. There are five patterns, for a beanie, mittens, a cowl, a pullover, and a cardigan.

This is the “Bikey Beanie:”

“Deep Ocean Mittens:”

And “Skull and Crossbones Pullover.”

All in all, a great book: how-tos, charts for motifs, and patterns for a few very cute projects.

Who’s like a copy? Interweave has generously offered a second copy for one of my readers. To be entered in the giveaway for this great book, leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 and a winner will be chosen at random at that time.

Loki is settling down for an afternoon of what he does best: supervising my every move!

Wow, not only are the motifs new and original but I love the patterns too! It is so much better to see the motifs knitted up (as a pawprint for example) than just to see it in chart form. Looks like a ‘must=have’ book.

Oh my! This is just my thing! Please add me to the list for a chance to win. I’m also adding it to my Amazon wish list. I love the paw prints. I’m an elementary school teacher and our logo is a paw print (out mascot is a Ranger Bear).

What a cool book. I love looking at stitch dictionaries and making swatches from them. It’s really how I learned more advance knitting skills. I had a copy of Barbara Walker’s first volume and pretty much worked my way through it (and those weren’t even charted).

Loki’s looking good. I hope you’re all surviving the long, hot summer. Things in the DC area must be even hotter, from a number of points of view.

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